After being diagnosed, the 53-year-old had a mastectomy and breast reconstruction surgery all at the same time on Aug. 28.
“I'm excited,” Eggert told her co-host Dave Palet on Sept. 1. “I'm happy. It was one of those surgeries that it was like so long overdue.”
Eggert is known for playing Summer on "Baywatch" from 1992 to 1994, Jamie Powell on "Charles in Charge" from 1987 to 1990 and Marci Ferguson in "Who’s The Boss" from 1985 to 1986.
“I've had a lot of time to watch TV. That's been fun,” she said on her podcast this week. “I got a couple days to just lie there and watch garbage and take painkillers and it was a good time.”
The average age for diagnosis is 62, with most cases occurring in women aged 50 and older.
Eggert’s use of painkillers surprised some physicians, including plastic surgeon Amir Mahan Ghaznavi in Northern Virginia, who only injects a nerve blocking agent that acts for 72 hours.
“My patients do not take any narcotics, and if they do, most are for no more than 24 hours,” Ghaznavi told NTD. “It is very dependent on the patient and the surgical technique.”
Eggert also posted a photo of herself wearing a compression bra, which helps to reduce swelling and discomfort.
Wearing a compression bra is advisable for the first two to four weeks after surgery, according to breast cancer surgeon Liz O'Riordan, who is also a three-time Stage 3 breast cancer survivor.
“After a mastectomy and reconstruction the breast skin can swell and feel uncomfortable, like an ankle after a sprain,” O'Riordan told NTD.
“I am always appreciative of influencers and celebrities sharing their stories as it help to raise awareness,” South Bend, Oregon, reconstructive surgeon Sam Fuller told NTD. “Most women are relieved and happy following their surgery because the anticipation and anxiety of the unknown has passed, and they are pleased to be through the big step of having their mastectomy and breast reconstruction.”